


The Fifth Christmas

by geekmama



Series: Lost and Found [9]
Category: Pirates of the Caribbean (Movies)
Genre: Angst, Christmas Fluff, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-27
Updated: 2017-06-27
Packaged: 2018-11-19 22:37:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,544
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11323143
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/geekmama/pseuds/geekmama
Summary: The year Will and Jack almost missed Christmas in Port Royal.





	The Fifth Christmas

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this for azalaisdep in celandineb's 3fan_holidays fic exchange, with many thanks to hereswith for her sharp eye in editing.
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**_~ The Fifth Christmas ~_ **

The roast goose was like ashes in Elizabeth's mouth, and conversation between her father and James had dwindled to nothing. Finally she swallowed, and took up her glass of wine with a hand that was not entirely steady. The ruby liquid tasted warm and sharp, and fortified her just enough to speak. 

"Where can they _be?_ " 

James frowned at his plate and did not reply. Her father, however, gave a roll of his eyes and said, "Elizabeth, there's no use in-" 

His words died at the sound that met his ears - all their ears. The creak of the gate. And then horses. A carriage. 

Elizabeth leapt to her feet, ran out of the dining room and across the foyer to throw open the front door, forestalling the new butler who looked momentarily offended until her father and James came to join her. The three peered out at the rain-swept drive, barely visible in the faint lamplight on this darkest of nights, and discerned that they had not been deceived: a carriage was indeed making its slow way up the muddy hill toward them. 

Elizabeth made a move forward, and James grabbed her arm. She twisted around to glare, but it was her father who spoke sharply. 

"You shall not be soaked unless it's _them_. Have patience! They'll be abreast of the door in another minute." 

She scowled, biting her lip, but saw the sense in it. If it was some untimely holiday visitor she would need to be presentable -- and would be wishing said visitor at the very devil. 

She was wringing her hands by the time the carriage came to a halt before the portico, but then the side door burst open and a familiar figure in greatcoat and tricorn appeared, jumping down with a muddy splash. "Jack!" She wrenched free and hurried out to him, ignoring the rain. 

Jack had turned to let down the steps of the carriage, but heard her and straightened and there was a flash of white and gold as he grinned. "Lizzie!" She reached him and he briefly hugged her, one-armed. "Silly chit, you're ruining your hair and dress."

"Will?" was all she said. 

"In the carriage. Don't get him wet, now, his cold's gotten worse." 

" _Worse?_ " she exclaimed. He should have been over it, he'd been well into it when he'd left with Jack a fortnight ago; but her relief that her husband was here and alive overwhelmed all other considerations. 

She climbed into the carriage and there, sitting in the far corner, swathed to the eyeballs in cloaks and blankets, was her beloved. 

"Elizabeth!" he croaked, and opened his arms. 

She was enfolded, and gave a sob of happiness. 

Jack poked his head in, hat dripping. "Bloody hell, didn't I tell you not to get him wet?" 

Both Elizabeth and Will shook with laughter.

*

They got Will into the house and installed by the fire in the cozy library. Jack had stripped off his dripping hat and coat in the foyer, but Elizabeth's hair and dress were still damp.

"Go get into something dry, Elizabeth," said her father. "The three of us can take care of Will for ten minutes."

She blew Will a kiss on her way out, and smiled at James, who was just coming in, having fetched the wine and some glasses from the dining room. She lifted her skirts and fairly ran up the stairs, followed by Estrella who did not need to be told what her mistress needed, nor how quickly. 

Ten minutes later, Elizabeth reentered the library in a gown of warm burgundy velvet, her hair now set to rights.

"Is that the dress Barbossa gave you?" Jack, warming his backside by the fire, looked her over as she approached, a gleam in his eye.

She retorted, "You of all people should remember he made me return that one." She sat down on the elaborately embroidered footstool by her husband's knee. Will took her hand and gave it a squeeze, and she firmly quashed the high spirits that urged her to stick her tongue out at Jack.

"So I should remember," Jack agreed with a crooked grin. "It's not often I have the chance to cavort with a scantily clad female for that length of time." His grin faded abruptly at Weatherby's shocked look and James's narrowed eyes. "And by 'cavort' I mean-"

"-dance," Elizabeth supplied. "After which you succumbed to a surfeit of rum and became a dead bore."

"You forgot the singing," Jack said, with something of a pout at 'dead bore'.

Elizabeth chuckled, and sang: " _Devils and black sheep, and really bad eggs!_ "

" _Drink up me hearties, yo ho!_ " Jack's smile was back now, and he raised his glass to Elizabeth and drank deep.

"Yes, this is all most edifying," Governor Swann said, "but what I want to know is why the two of you are nearly a week late returning from a journey that was supposed to be completed within a few days."

"We were so worried," Elizabeth agreed. "If you hadn't returned tonight, James was prepared to send his men out tomorrow morning to begin to search for you."

"James! You _do_ care!" Jack simpered at his erstwhile nemesis.

"I do," James said, at his driest. "And I shall take you outside and show you just how much, if you don't cease this facetiousness immediately and tell us where you've been."

"A threat!" Jack exclaimed. "D'you hear that, Will? That's what comes of doing good deeds. Upon my soul, it's enough to turn a man to _piracy!_ Oh, wait..."

He looked so comical that Elizabeth burst out laughing, and Will began to cough.

Even James shook his head, smiling. "Jack..."

"All right, I'll tell you, but I warn you, it's a long tale and a strange one."

"I've ordered more wine," Elizabeth's father said, sardonically. "And dinner will be brought in, so Will can remain by the fire. Now tell us."

"Yes," said Elizabeth. "Tell us!"

*

"Well," said Jack, pleased with his attentive audience, "as you know, Will and I went to Santiago on the sly to sell that masterpiece of a sword he made. But what you didn't know, Elizabeth, is that he wanted the money for a particular reason: to buy you a whole bolt of that teal-colored silk you like."

"The silk that Mrs. Campbell was wearing at that ball in Kingston?" Elizabeth exclaimed. She looked up at her husband. "Oh, Will, you shouldn't have!"

Will's smile was a little wry, and Jack said, "It's good that you think so, because he didn't."

Elizabeth raised her brows.

Jack added, "Not that he didn't mean to, but..."

"For heaven's sake, Jack," Will said, hoarsely. "Start at the beginning. At the inn."

"Ah, yes. The inn. We were staying at El Gallo Rosa, a favorite of mine, just outside the city, and were taking a walk after dinner when we were accosted by a thief! Would you credit it?"

"No," James said.

"Well, it's the truth!" Jack said, indignant at James's disbelief, and at the memory.

"Knocked Jack down!" Will asserted, with a nod.

"Oh, Jack!" Elizabeth exclaimed, immediately sympathetic. "Were you all right?" 

"Bless you, love, of course I was. The thief was only a lad, twelve or so, for all he had the long arm of the law on his tail. He fell as well, when we collided, and I dragged him up along with me and shook him like a dog with a rat. Then the runners came up with him and there was a bit of a row while the lad begged me to save 'im, his family needed help and would Will and I not have mercy, his family was homeless, his mother about to give birth, his little sister no help at all, and his father'd been thrown in gaol for tax evasion."

Elizabeth cried out in protest; her father and James looked skeptical.

Jack said, "I would've thought it all a hum, too, except the constable, or whatever they call 'em, confirmed it - knew the father was in gaol, at least. So I got the lad off - bribed the runners, those arms of the law are all the same - not you, of course, James - and Will and I took him back to the inn for a bite of supper. He was devilish sharp set, hadn't eaten in a day or two, I believe, but he told us through his _arroz con pollo_ that if we would help him get his father out of gaol he'd be our man for life. Indenture himself, body and soul. I was inclined to laugh, for he wasn't much, just a skinny lad, but Will here saw something in 'im."

"Myself, at that age," Will said, his voice croaking sadly.

Elizabeth stood up and hugged him, and Will shifted her and drew her down onto his lap.

The Governor cleared his throat, and said to Jack, "Yes. Go on. So you _did_ end up helping him?"

"Aye. As it happens, the customer Will had come to see was none other than the _capitán_ at the gaol. So the next morning we all went off together, Will to sell his sword, and Benito-that was the lad's name-and I to the gaol to visit his _papa_ , bring him the sacraments."

"The _sacraments?_ " James, quick on the uptake as always, sounded outraged.

Jack said, with an air of unconcern, "I'd acquired a priest's togs, nothing easier, really."

"Oh my God," muttered the Governor. 

"Indeed," James agreed.

"So they let you right in?" Elizabeth asked, no disapproval in her eager voice.

 _How I love my piratical Lizzie_ , Jack thought, and smiled benignly. "Of course. _Unescorted_ , bein' a priest an' all. We made our plans, told him I'd return that night and get him out. Meanwhile, Will was selling that sword for a pretty penny, so we were in funds when we took ourselves off. After I changed me clothes, we went out to the market and got some food and a few items for the mother-to-be - Benito's _papa_ had gone on and on about her, how she was having a hard time of it, more than she'd had with the first two." Jack winced, his memory vivid. "More of that anon, unfortunately. In the meantime, we went back that night and got _papa_ out of gaol and headed off to Tres Caballos, a fishing village where mum and baby sister were staying with friends."

"Just like that?" said James.

"Just like what?" Jack asked, feigning confusion.

"You got him out of gaol with no difficulty."

"Of course I did! Are you forgetting? James, I'm-"

"- _Captain Jack Sparrow!_ " chorused Will and Elizabeth.

Jack struck a pose.

James sighed, and Weatherby rolled his eyes again.

"All right, go on," James said.

Jack inclined his head, gravely. "As I was sayin', we got ourselves to Tres Caballos by dawn. I was going to send a messenger round to the _Pearl_ , have them pick us up, within a couple of days. But somehow we hadn't quite got clean away. The long arm had gotten wind of us, came lookin' in Tres Caballos, and we had a time of it getting out. And on top of it, Benito's _mama_ was... er, about to present the _papa_ with that third token of her affection."

"Oh!" Elizabeth exclaimed, and looked to Will who nodded confirmation, and widened his eyes to impress upon her the horror of the situation.

"It was bad," Jack confirmed. "I'll tell you, _I_ would've scarpered, 'cept there was nothing for it, we were all in that bit of a fishing boat, sailing out and around to where we'd left the _Black Pearl_. We were a good twenty-four hours getting there, the seas mighty rough, and Benito's mum _in extremis_. Very loud, blood-curdling _extremis_ a lot of the time." Jack shuddered eloquently.

"Oh, heavens!" said Elizabeth. "Did she survive? She must have! You would not be laughing about it, otherwise."

"Do you see me or Will laughing?" Jack demanded. "But aye, you have it. She was fine. Eventually. Twenty-four hours never seemed so long, upon my word, and I've been in a few situations that... well, never mind. We reached the _Pearl_ , barely in time. Anamaria and Cook came down into the boat to deliver the baby -- or catch it as it finally deigned to make its appearance, more like. I didn't stay to bear witness; there was a bottle of rum calling me name. We got them aboard when things settled down, and then came the part that delayed us so: they'd asked us to take them 'round to the other side of Hispaniola, to Bayahibe, where _mama_ has family and they could get a fresh start. Took us four days to get there, and then they wouldn't let us leave right away, being hospitable folk, and it being Christmas and all. It's a pretty place, and Will was on the mend at last. But we finally took our leave, knowing you'd be missing us."

Elizabeth said, "And you forgave Benito his promise of indenture?"

"No such thing!" Jack said. "I charged him to watch over his family, particularly that little sister of his. Carmelita. Pretty thing, and she knows it, more's the pity. Wants thrashing, but she's got _papa_ wrapped 'round her little finger. Rather like yourself." He smirked as Elizabeth stiffened, but then went on, "We gave them money, too, plenty to set _papa_ up in business there. Will's silk fund, and some from the _Pearl_."

Elizabeth hugged Will. "I don't mind. You're safe, that's all I care about. But your cold!"

Will kissed her hand, and said, "It was the storms, the whole the way back here. You know how the weather's been these last few days. I barely realized how tired and ill I was until yesterday, when I woke with a fever again." He began to cough, convulsively.

"We shall have the doctor in tomorrow," said the Governor. "And as Elizabeth says, at least you're safe."

"Aye," Jack agreed. "Not even a scratch from that swordplay we had when they cornered the lot of us in Tres Caballos. It was touch and go for a bit, but your husband is still a devil with a blade in his hand, Lizzie."

"Oh, Will!" Elizabeth exclaimed.

Will said to Jack, "I told you not to mention that part." 

"She's only sorry she missed it!" Jack said scornfully, and winked at Elizabeth. "Anyway, it was Benito's aunties I wasn't supposed to mention. The two lovelies that kept following you 'round Bayahibe, remember?" But at this point Jack barely refrained from giving a startled squawk as James firmly gripped his upper arm.

"Come, Jack, let's go see what's keeping dinner."

"Why certainly James, I'm of your mind entirely. Though if you wanted to speak to me alone you only had to say so!"

" _Out_ , Pirate!"

*

Will shook his head, then gave Elizabeth a crooked smile. "It's a long tale and a strange one, as Jack said. But you were always in my thoughts, surely you must know that."

She brushed a stray lock of dark hair from his forehead. "My darling, I don't blame Benito's aunties in the least," she said, and kissed him.

 

~.~


End file.
